1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing medium detecting mechanism of a printer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is generally known heretofore, as a detecting sensor of a continuous printing medium detecting mechanism in a printer, a mechanism comprising a micro-switch, a Hall device, a photointerrupter, a lead switch, and a detecting lever.
A printing medium is generally inserted from the rear of a platen, wound around the platen from the lower part thereof, and wound in front of a printing head. To so wind the printing medium around the platen, a paper chute is provided for guiding the printing medium, serving as a traveling path for a printing medium detecting mechanism provided therein.
By contrast, a printer of a certain kind has a traveling path other than that described above. This traveling path is provided such that the printing medium is inserted from the bottom of the printer, and fed through the front thereof toward a printing head. For that, a paper guide is provided below the platen. The other traveling path described above is formed by this paper guide. The other printing medium detecting mehanism is provided also in the other traveling path described above.
A printing medium detecting mechansim in a printer having a plurality of printing medium traveling paths as described above requires a plurality of medium detecting mechanisms and detecting circuits of the same kind. The printing medium detecting mechanism has drawbacks of allowing wirings thereof to connectors to be increased and a plurality of structures and assembling processes to be needed.